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My husband may be offered a job in Albany. If this happens, he will be working near the hospital on Northern Blvd. I don't want to live in the city proper, nor do I want to be in "the sticks."
I have been researching the various towns around but being from outside the area, I am still pretty clueless.
What we want is something (to rent to start) in an area with good libraries (I heard NY libraries are very good, and the state spends a lot on them), a family friendly/pet friendly apartment not too far from the supermarkets and stores.
Of course, it should be "safe" also. Not run down.
I don't really want to go more than $1,000 a month on rent for a 2 bedroom. Is that doable in a nice suburb?
I appreciate the fact most people in the forum here are helpful.
Do you think we'd like Guilderland or East Greenbush?
I want to avoid pretentious suburbs but still want a nice place.
Is this possible? I don't want to move if these things are not likely.
I think parts of Guilderland are walkable, Delmar, further out Altamont, "Old" Niskayuna, Troy, Cohoes, Scotia, Schenectady and further north in Ballston Spa, of course Saratoga. I'm sure there are lots more, that I'm not thinking of at the moment. The older towns tend to be walkable. The strip malls and newer developements aren't so walkable. A walkable area was high on my list of musts when buying. And walkable in the sense that I could walk some where not just in a neighborhood of cul de sacs.
Yes, New York State tends to have great public libraries. There are still some places that are technically not served by public libraries, even in the Capital District, so make sure you ask when you buy/rent. For instance, Schodack does not have a library, and some Schodack homes are in the East Greenbush school district, so don't assume just by the address.
Some excellent libraries are William K. Sanford (Colonie), Guilderland PL, Bethlehem PL, and Albany PL. Albany Main is kind of run down, but in the past two years Albany PL has opened or completely renovated 5 branches. If you get a library card from a library in Albany or Rensselaer Counties, you can use it an any other library in those counties. Other regions of the Capital District have similar set-ups with their library districts - Mohawk Valley Library System in the Schenectady area and Southern Adirondack Library System north of Albany County.
See, you have touched on something near and dear to my heart. If you have more questions about libraries, ask away.
Finding walkable neighborhoods, especially outside the cities, and especially where you can walk TO something , is difficult in this region. I grew up in New England, and was much more used to even the suburbs having town centers in their own right.
I lived in Guilderland when I first moved here, and most of it is definitely NOT walkable, which is why we ended up moving to Albany. They are trying to add sidewalks and lights, but the building patterns are already set up and makes walking untenable. There is part of Guilderland near UAlbany Uptown campus where you can walk to Sutyvesant Plaza, which is a strip mall, Starbucks, and a few other places, but it's on a very busy road and not too pleasant.
If you don't wan to live in a city, then some walkable places to check out are Delmar near the 5 Corners, Scotia. Ballston Spa (NOT Ballston Lake which is mainly subdivisions), and the "Old" section of Niskayuna. Delmar would be the closest to Northern Blvd. Delmar and Niskayuna can be somewhat pretentious, but nowhere around here is close to being as pretentious as high end suburbs in places like Westchester Co., NY; Gross Pointe, MI; Winnetka, IL; or Wellesley, MA. If you are used to places like that, everyone here will seem pretty down to earth. Niskayuna and Bethlehem are known for having a little more of a pressure-cooker feel to their high schools, and several folks I know who live there are of the opinion that average kids are ignored or worse by teachers. But if that is a concern of yours, I would ask the question to this board to get more input.
Old Niskayuna is definitely walkable in that the houses are close together, the streets connect, and there are some stores to go to. However, there are very few sidewalks, which I always find strange in a neighborhood of that set-up and vintage.
The "citites" here also have sections that have a suburban but walkable feel to them, so you may not want to rule them out either.
Thanks again. I am formulating some good data here.
I really don't want SUPER rural. I don't mind if there is a good bus system (though I drive) but to be 20 minutes out is too far if it's just a dinky town. A town with at least 2 supermarkets, good shopping, library and YMCA would be nice.
I really don't like small rural areas especially in snow belts. One tends to become insular and never leave the house, unless you ski or do some winter sport--which I do not.
I have cousins I visit in Vermont who live in a one horse town about 1.5 hours from anything. I cannot imagine that sort of life. Either suburban or build up would be fine.
Colonie is more up-scale for this area. I don't really like Guilderland or areas out those ways. I hate the rural areas.
Colonie is a huge area. Some parts, like Loudonville, are very upscale. Other sections, like Latham, are more middle of the road. There are also a small % of students receiving free lunch in Colonie, but a fair bit more than in Niskayuna or Bethlehem, where the number is practically zero.
I don't think this poster meant to say that Guilderland is rural, but some might read it that way. Parts of Guilderland have a rural feel, although that has been changing quickly over the 10+ years I have lived in the Capital District. The eastern part of Guilderland (near Albany) is older and more built up. There are at least 3 grocery stores in Guilderland, as well as the biggest mall in the region. They have a smallish, but very good library and a new YMCA. It has a good mix of socio-economic levels, although racially it's pretty homogenous - over 90% white. It's not a walkable community, but otherwise I think it may fit your criteria.
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